Bean snipping machine



Jan. 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,451

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 4 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 W12. FnlqyINVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,451

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 -4 Sheeis-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 22, 1946. w. 2,393,461

' BEAN SHIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTQR.

sya Z Jan.- 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,461

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 QININININVENTO Patented Jan. 22,1946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v wiifii 'flfvfiiifi.

Application July 19, 1943, Serial No. 495,319

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine designed for snipping beans inpreparing beans for canning.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for deliveringthe beans to the knives of the machine in substantially uprightpositions, so that the ends of the beans will extend through the rotarydrum in which the beans are positioned, and the snipping operationvcarried out with facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide knives which willautomatically swing outwardly away from the drum, through which the endsof the beans under treatment extend, in the event that nails or stonesfind their way into'the paths of the knives, thereby insuring againstdamage to the knives.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds. the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts herein- Figure 3 is a sectionalview taken on line 3-4 V of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating therelative positions of the knives with respect to the drum of themachine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating a knifeof the machine as tilted rearwardly by contact with a stationaryobstruction such as a nail, stone or the like.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a bean snipping knife operatingagainst the periphery of the drum of the machine. v,

Figure '7 is a fragmental plan view of the corrugated bean guide platewhich is disposed within the drum. a

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine embodies a supportingframe indicated generally by the reference character 8, which supportsthe power shaft I, which may be operated by any suitable power mechanismnot'shown.

At the ends of the power shaft 8 are supporting rollers I on which thedrum 8 of the machine rests, the rollers I being secured to the shaft 6to rotate therewith and in turn, rotate the drum.

Supporting rollers 8 are also mounted on the frame of the machine andprovide a further rest and support for the drum 8. The drum or cylinderl embodies a plurality of parallel slats ll which are supported inspaced relation with respect to each other, by means of the collars IIthat are arranged in predetermined spaced relation with respect to eachother, throughout the length of the cylinder or drum 8, The adjacentedges of the parallel slats III are so formed that slots are providedthroughout the length of the cylinder or drum 8, the slots beingsubstantially wide at their inner sides, as clearly shown by Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, so that the ends of the beans which are being treated bythe machine, will be guided to the slots.

Pick-up blades I2 are disposed within the cylinder or drum 8 and extendinwardly therefrom, the blades being arranged in spaced relation withrespect to each other, so that when the cylinder or drum 8 is rotated.beans which are deposited therein, will be picked up by the blades 12and carried to the upper portion of the cylinder or drum, where theywill be thrown laterally and will drop to the bottom ofthe cylinder ordrum.

The reference character l3 designates a horizontal supporting bar whichextends through the cylinder or drum 8, the ends thereof being mountedin the brackets l4 and I5. This supporting bar is positioned to one sideof a vertical line drawn through the cylinder or drum 8, and provides asupport for the plate It which is corrugated throughout its length,providing a plurality of vertical substantially V-shaped guideways ll.Thus it will be seen that as the beans are carried upwardly by thepick-up blades I2 and thrown laterally, the beans will contact with theplate It, entering the vertical passageways II, where the beans will becaused to descend vertically. so that the ends thereof will be projectedthrough the spaces between the slats II to be cut by the knivesoperating adjacent to the periphery of the cylinder or drum 8.

Mounted on one of these pick-up blades I2, is a flexible. member l8which is of a length to contact, with the upper edge of the plate ISwith each revolution of thecylinder or drum 8, to

contact beans which may become caught or wedged on the plate,vdislodgingthe beans.

The knives which operate adjacent to the periphery of the'cylinder ordrum 8, are arranged in spaced relation with respect to each other, andare secured to the bar I!) forming apart of the frame of the machine.Each of these knives includes a yieldable supporting arm 28 and apivoted blade 2| mounted at the free end of the supporting arm 28. Theseblades 2| of the knives, have their cutting edges disposed downwardly ina direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder ordrum 8. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, should anail or stone be projected through the parallel slats of the cylinder ordrum, in the path of one of the blades, the blade will, upon'contactwith the nail or stone, pivot rearwardly to a position as shown by Fig.5 of the drawings, allowing the continued rotation of the cylinder ordrum 8 without damage to the blade of the knife.

Hoppers indicated at 22 are supported by the frame of the machine, andare designed to receive the ends of the beans snipped 'by the machine, I

It might be further stated that in the construction of the machine, thelegs of the frame of the machine are of identical lengths, However, inthe operation of the machine it is necessary to incline the cylinder sothat the beans will be fed towards the discharge end of the cylinder.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Beans are fed into the elevated end or receiving end of the cylinder,and the cylinder is rotated. As the cylinder rotates, the beans arecarried upwardly by the pick-up blades l2, and are thrown laterally intocontact with the plate Hi. The beans now follow the vertical passagewaysll of the plate It, and the ends of the beans are projected through thespaces between the slats of the cylinder 8. As the drum rotates, the

ends of the beans which extend through the spaces between the slats willfall in the paths of the blades which are urged against the outersurface of the cylinder or drum 8, where the ends of the beans aresnipped, th snipped beans being fed or delivered from the discharge orlower end of the drum into a suitable receiving chute.

What is claimed is:

1, In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having longitudianlslots formed therein, meansfor delivering beans to the upper portion ofthe cylinder, a plate supported within the cylinder and being disposedlongitudinally thereof, said plate having vertical passageways intowhich beans are thrown as the cylinder rotates, said plate adapted todirect the ends of the beans through said slots, and stationary knivesresting against the periphery of the cylinder and adapted to snip oilthe ends of the beans projected through the slots, as the cylinderrotates.

2. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openingsformed in the wall thereof and through which the ends of beans de- 4. Ina bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formedtherein, a vertical stationary plate disposed within the cylinder andarranged longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder, and laterally 0fthe axis in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, said plateproviding a stop against which beans in the cylinder are thrown, saidplate adapted to direct beans to the cylinder openings as the cylinderrotates, lifter blades adapted to lift beans within the cylinder, andmeans for cutting the ends of beans projecting through the openings.

5. A bean snipping machine comprising a rotatable cylinder havingopenings through which the ends ofbeans extend, spring arms mountedadjacent to the cylinder, pivoted members having blades, mounted on thefree ends posited within the cylinder, extend, a plate I mounted withinthe cylinder and extending longitudinall of the cylinder, said platehaving vertical grooves into which beans are thrown, as the cylinderrotates, said grooves adapted to direct the beans to the openings of thecylinder, and knives operating against the outer surface of the cylinderand adapted to snip oif the ends of beans projected through saidopenings.

3. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openingsformed therein, a vertical stationary plate mounted within the cylinderand extending throughout the length of the cylinder, said plate beingarranged longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder and being disposedlaterall of the axis in the direction of rotation the upper and loweredges of the plate being spaced from the cylinder, said plate providinga stop against which beans are thrown, directing beans downwardly,pick-up blades secured to the inner surface of of the cylinder and beingdisposed longitudinally of the cylinder, and means for cutting the endsof the beans projecting through the openings.

of the arms, and said pivoted members adapted to swing to an invertedposition in contact with the cylinder, when said blades contact astationary object projected through an opening of the cylinder, andmeans for mounting the blades, whereby the blades remain in theirinverted positions during continuous rotation of the cylinder.

6. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openingsformed in the wall thereof, spring arms supported adjacent to thecylinder, pivoted members having blades mounted on the spring arms, saidblades normally resting against the cylinder and adapted to snip beansprojecting through the openings, and said pivoted members adapted topivot rearwardly, whereby the back edges of the pivoted members restagainst the cylinder when the blades enage a rigid object projectedthrough the openings.

7. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openingsformed in the wall thereof, arms constructed of spring steel, secured atone of their respective ends, supported adjacent to the cylinder,pivoted members having blades, pivotally mounted on-the free ends ofsaid arms, said blades adapted to normally rest against said cylinderand adapted to cut beans projecting through the openings thereof, saidpivot members adapted to swing rearwardly, the rear edges thereofresting against the cylinder when the blades engage rigid obstructionsprojected through the openings, the cutting edges of the blades beingdirected out of the path of travel of the rigid obstructions projectingthrough the openings.

8. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having longitudinalslots formed therein, longitudinal blades extending inwardly from theinner surface of the cylinder and adapted to pick upbeans fed into thecylinder and carry the beans upwardly within the cylinder, a stationaryplate disposed longitudinally of the cylinder within the cylinder andagainst which the beans in the cylinder are thrown, said plate adaptedto direct the beans to said slots, a flex

